The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and more specifically to a foot rest for use in an automotive vehicle.
Typically, most automotive vehicles have a somewhat flat floor pan area beneath an occupant's feet, bordered by an inclining toe pan section, a sharply inclining center tunnel section and an inclining rocker panel section. Such conventional floor pans are carpeted but may be uncomfortable to an occupant due to the natural inclination of the occupant's feet when in a sitting position. This situation is often exacerbated for shorter than average height occupants if they are not able to reach the toe pan section.
Various attempts have been made to provide a motorized foot rest to alleviate foot comfort concerns. For example, such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,960 entitled "Motorized Vehicle Foot Rest" which issued to Komorowski et al. on Oct. 23, 1962, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,308 entitled "Footrest Apparatus" which issued to Koga et al. on Feb. 2, 1993; both of these patents are incorporated by reference herein. Notwithstanding, these conventional devices appear fairly complicated and heavy by using multiple linkages and jackscrew-type drive mechanisms.
In accordance with the present invention, the preferred embodiment of a motor vehicle foot rest includes a movable foot rest panel, a driving mechanism and an actuator. In another aspect of the present invention, a flexible and linearly movable cable pushes or pulls a linearly movable slide capable of raising or lowering a foot rest panel. A further aspect of the present invention provides a linearly movable slide which is coupled to an elongated and relatively stationary track. A bowden cable and electric motor are used to pivot a foot rest panel in yet another aspect of the present invention.
The motor vehicle foot rest of the present invention is advantageous over conventional constructions in that the present invention minimizes moving and exposed parts, and is relatively lightweight. Accordingly, reliability, part-to-part tolerances and durability are improved. Furthermore, assembly and piece costs are reduced. The foot rest of the present invention also lends itself to aesthetic variations and advantages over traditional devices due to its very compact and modularized nature. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.